http://www.gentlemansemporium.com/gentlemans.php
Oh, you'll love it.
In particular, you'll love Gridley's new Jarvis Frock Suit, which he can wear with the vest that is made for it, or this striking double-breasted Baker City Vest, replete with silk tie, OR the brown Medallion Ascot. His shoes are italian leather, although he'll be quick to correct you that they're actually boots - but I think Murphy, Gus, and Clayton might disagree.
For those cold winter days, he'll be protected by a Highland Winter Frock Coat, replete with white cashmere scarf and deerskin dress gloves. And adorning his crown is this smart John Bull-style top hat that says, "watch your guard now, rapscallion. This is no dandy you're dealing with! Now, move along, lest you find yourself on the wrong side of a dust-up!" And, of course, the requisite arm and sock garters, as well as smart suspenders. The cherry on top of this sundae is a pair of otter fur-lined spats that are of my own invention - these will keep his ankles and feet both warm and fabulous.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
From the Journal of Rev. Col. Elijah Q. Gridley
January 19th, 1885 -
It has been 8 days since my last entry, and they have been a whirlwind indeed. As I have been remiss in logging the events of the past week, what follows is at best the highlights.
I awoke on the morning of the 12th to find a note from the Agency telling us to "lay low" after the events of the train robbery. I went downstairs and had breakfast in the Sanbel's dining room while I perused the paper. I found an estate sale in St. Charles that looked promising. There was also some mention of the train robbery as well as a call for Rev. Strong's prayer meeting that night. I must say, I am not comfortable with another Rev. finding his way into the headlines. As I was on my way out of town, I stumbled across St. Louis' fine Mayor Francis giving a speech, and decided it was time to begin the cultivation of a relationship with this man. After the speech, I "negotiated" my way into his office for a little one on one conversation. After making a healthy contribution to Mr. Francis' re-election campaign, my colleagues and I headed off to the Agency for payment after last night's "job".
We find Mr. Rigby and he gives us our cash, as well as a small vial that he claims contains a healing potion of sorts. If I can figure out how this was brewed, there will be no end to my earning ability, and it won't be considered quackery. This poses to be a turning point for the good Rev. Col. I must begin examining this immediately. We also discover that our puritanical employer Mr. Bullock is none too pleased with our exploits last night, as, apparently, this was all of Mr. Rigby's design and was not completely sanctioned by the Agency. I had no problem with this, but the virtuous Mr. Kestrall took a good deal of umbrage for being forced to steal from innocent people. Hopefully his rose colored view of the world will soon wear off and he will come to realize that everyone is guilty. All of us.
After business was done for the day, I had a need to rid myself of my new found wealth, so Clayton and I decided it was time to start investing in our futures. We are now the proud owners of a prairie schooner. This should be a perfect vehicle for both of our endeavors. After that we went back to the Sanbell and found ourselves at a card table with a most interesting gentleman by the name of Samuel Clemens. He was one of the most engaging and well spoken men I have yet to encounter. We had a delightful time, and the next morning, he gave me a copy of a manuscript he was getting ready to send off. A heartwarming tale of a young boy fending for himself on the Mississippi River. The only critique I had was that this boy's travelling partner was a savage named Jim. I could have done without that. But I digress.
The next morning we departed for St. Charles, which is a wealthy little neighborhood outside of St. Louis. There, Mr. Sanbell and I hit a goldmine. Our wagon is now outfitted with a fully stocked bar, and a gaming table, as well as enough crates and trunks to house all of our contra ban. I also picked up a very nice brewing kit, so I should be able to start up the potion business again, very soon. Then Mr. Sanbell decided it was time for us to have a base of operations, and purchased a house in a nice quiet neighborhood. Indeed, when the ball gets rolling, it really gets rolling. I feel the need to step up my game.
After that we go to the West End to celebrate, and get word of a man named Lempe and some nonsense about a ghost. I figure this is the perfect time to run the Dr. Perth exorcism scam on him. However Mr. Kestrall had much better luck with the man and I went back to the poker table where "Dr. Perth" made quite a contribution to Rev. Col. Gridley's political future.
Gus went to inspect Mr. Lempe's house and comes back talking about a real ghost and something being under the Indian cave. It gets so, that you tend to just let him ramble on about his superstitions till it is all out of his system. Regardless, he believed it worth investigating, and as he is the best bodyguard a man like my self could ask for, I decided to indulge him.
To make a long story very short. Mr. Lempe was a brewer, and it seems Mr. Lempe was working with his man-servant, Edgar, to eliminate the competition in a less than legal way. They would then store the bodies in some alcove beneath his own brewery. We must have found 12-15 bodies down there, and we added a few more when Mr. Lempe's thugs tried to leave us in there to perish. Well, we made out way out and went back to Lempe's where we confronted Edgar, who took full responsibility for the crimes. Now, for the first, and maybe last time, Gus and I were in agreement that Lempe could not get off Scott free on this issue, so we restrained Edgar, and went to find Lempe. On our way the most unbelievable thing happened.
Bullock approaches us on the street and says he has a fourth member for our little cadre - a "man" know as Justice Murphy. This man is black. I am at a loss of words to accurately describe how I feel. All I will say is that so far, he seems to know his place and does not mind posing as property. It is just unfortunate that he is posing.
Back at the West End as we were about to approach Lempe, Edgar, who somehow got free of his constraints, comes running in. We grab Lampe, Edgar and head out into the alley. After that it all gets a little blurry. By the end of the night, Lempe and Edgar are dead, the ghost is gone, and I am up $300 at the Sanbell's gambling table.
On the morning of the 14th, I am awoken with a telegram that says my mother has passed in El Paso and I am named the sole inheritor of the estate. I will not begin to mention the problems I had with this news. Needless to say, I thought it might bring me closer to discovering the identity of my parents. I gather my things and book passage for Texas immediately. After a fairly uneventful train ride through the dunce belt, I arrived in El Paso, which I suppose is Mexican for "Can pass for Mexico". We decided to hit up a "cantina" for a drink, and some cards. It was there where I was introduced to the strongest liquid I have ever imbibed. Something called tequila. I have faint memories of them making fun of my clothing, something about a locals cousin, and then I think I was carried to bed. I am not really sure. But on the matter of clothing, I have noticed that no one is dressed the way I am. I am starting to wonder where all of these "cowboys" are.
The morning of the 16th, began very similarly to the 14th. I am pulled out of a drunken slumber by my colleagues, and then we go off to deal with the issue of my estate. The lawyer informs me that my mother died poor and in debt and that I am responsible for this debt or a local cattleman will seem to take it as a personal affront. After a little deliberation and some help from my friends, he confesses that it is all a scam and that there is no debt, nor is the woman in question my mother. To be honest, the plan is pure genius. It is an easy way for someone to make a couple hundred dollars off a poor unsuspecting orphan. I was impressed and as I watched his office burn, I thumbed through his contacts to see if I might be able to use them for my own financial gain.
Needless to say, it was time to leave Texas. We left on the next train headed west, and then we were going to go up to the Dakotas for some Agency job. This should be a wonderful opportunity for me to spend some time selling to the uneducated masses. On our way to Denver, our train breaks down in a small town called North Valley. Clay heads back to check in in St. Louis, with plans to meet us in the Dakotas, and Murphy and Gus head off to a church. I went to worship as well. After some time with a woman and a couple of stiff drinks it was off to see the town. I found a very interesting bookseller, and got my hands on three pages of a copy of Hoyle's from 1815. I cannot wait to begin working on these pages.
After some time spent as tourists, we went off to have a drink or two, and wait for our train to depart. That is when the trouble began. It seemed the graves of the town had coughed up their contents and they were making good time to head down to the pub for a drink. Well, rather than Gus just laying low and hoping they pass on, he decides we need to do something about this. We, and a couple of the townspeople get ready to take on the dead. That is when I see a couple of gents that were on the train with us fleeing the scene. I turned myself invisible, and took off to see where they were going. It seems they were heading to another graveyard with the intention of raising those folks as well. Now, I am not one for a fight, but the thought of more of those folks walking around didn't seem like a good idea, so I did what I could while sharpshooter Murphy picked them off. After watching Gus' treatment of those things back at HQ, I decided I would need to take their heads - that is all I will say about that.
After the dust-up, we spoke with the Sheriff about who would do this and he seemed to think a man from New Orleans was behind it. A Fellow by the name of Simon Lacroix. We told him we would keep an eye out. Then I regaled the bar with the story of our bravery (so as they would remember the name Gridley), and we headed back to the train. Oh, we also picked up a hired hand named Everett Temple. Another bodyguard can't hurt.
Well, the train has just pulled out of the depot, and I am exhausted. I have a lot to process from the last few days, as well as potions to start brewing. That's right, I figured out how to start the process. I also have to start working with those pages from Hoyle's. But first I must sleep, so I put down my pen and end the story of this weeks events.
It has been 8 days since my last entry, and they have been a whirlwind indeed. As I have been remiss in logging the events of the past week, what follows is at best the highlights.
I awoke on the morning of the 12th to find a note from the Agency telling us to "lay low" after the events of the train robbery. I went downstairs and had breakfast in the Sanbel's dining room while I perused the paper. I found an estate sale in St. Charles that looked promising. There was also some mention of the train robbery as well as a call for Rev. Strong's prayer meeting that night. I must say, I am not comfortable with another Rev. finding his way into the headlines. As I was on my way out of town, I stumbled across St. Louis' fine Mayor Francis giving a speech, and decided it was time to begin the cultivation of a relationship with this man. After the speech, I "negotiated" my way into his office for a little one on one conversation. After making a healthy contribution to Mr. Francis' re-election campaign, my colleagues and I headed off to the Agency for payment after last night's "job".
We find Mr. Rigby and he gives us our cash, as well as a small vial that he claims contains a healing potion of sorts. If I can figure out how this was brewed, there will be no end to my earning ability, and it won't be considered quackery. This poses to be a turning point for the good Rev. Col. I must begin examining this immediately. We also discover that our puritanical employer Mr. Bullock is none too pleased with our exploits last night, as, apparently, this was all of Mr. Rigby's design and was not completely sanctioned by the Agency. I had no problem with this, but the virtuous Mr. Kestrall took a good deal of umbrage for being forced to steal from innocent people. Hopefully his rose colored view of the world will soon wear off and he will come to realize that everyone is guilty. All of us.
After business was done for the day, I had a need to rid myself of my new found wealth, so Clayton and I decided it was time to start investing in our futures. We are now the proud owners of a prairie schooner. This should be a perfect vehicle for both of our endeavors. After that we went back to the Sanbell and found ourselves at a card table with a most interesting gentleman by the name of Samuel Clemens. He was one of the most engaging and well spoken men I have yet to encounter. We had a delightful time, and the next morning, he gave me a copy of a manuscript he was getting ready to send off. A heartwarming tale of a young boy fending for himself on the Mississippi River. The only critique I had was that this boy's travelling partner was a savage named Jim. I could have done without that. But I digress.
The next morning we departed for St. Charles, which is a wealthy little neighborhood outside of St. Louis. There, Mr. Sanbell and I hit a goldmine. Our wagon is now outfitted with a fully stocked bar, and a gaming table, as well as enough crates and trunks to house all of our contra ban. I also picked up a very nice brewing kit, so I should be able to start up the potion business again, very soon. Then Mr. Sanbell decided it was time for us to have a base of operations, and purchased a house in a nice quiet neighborhood. Indeed, when the ball gets rolling, it really gets rolling. I feel the need to step up my game.
After that we go to the West End to celebrate, and get word of a man named Lempe and some nonsense about a ghost. I figure this is the perfect time to run the Dr. Perth exorcism scam on him. However Mr. Kestrall had much better luck with the man and I went back to the poker table where "Dr. Perth" made quite a contribution to Rev. Col. Gridley's political future.
Gus went to inspect Mr. Lempe's house and comes back talking about a real ghost and something being under the Indian cave. It gets so, that you tend to just let him ramble on about his superstitions till it is all out of his system. Regardless, he believed it worth investigating, and as he is the best bodyguard a man like my self could ask for, I decided to indulge him.
To make a long story very short. Mr. Lempe was a brewer, and it seems Mr. Lempe was working with his man-servant, Edgar, to eliminate the competition in a less than legal way. They would then store the bodies in some alcove beneath his own brewery. We must have found 12-15 bodies down there, and we added a few more when Mr. Lempe's thugs tried to leave us in there to perish. Well, we made out way out and went back to Lempe's where we confronted Edgar, who took full responsibility for the crimes. Now, for the first, and maybe last time, Gus and I were in agreement that Lempe could not get off Scott free on this issue, so we restrained Edgar, and went to find Lempe. On our way the most unbelievable thing happened.
Bullock approaches us on the street and says he has a fourth member for our little cadre - a "man" know as Justice Murphy. This man is black. I am at a loss of words to accurately describe how I feel. All I will say is that so far, he seems to know his place and does not mind posing as property. It is just unfortunate that he is posing.
Back at the West End as we were about to approach Lempe, Edgar, who somehow got free of his constraints, comes running in. We grab Lampe, Edgar and head out into the alley. After that it all gets a little blurry. By the end of the night, Lempe and Edgar are dead, the ghost is gone, and I am up $300 at the Sanbell's gambling table.
On the morning of the 14th, I am awoken with a telegram that says my mother has passed in El Paso and I am named the sole inheritor of the estate. I will not begin to mention the problems I had with this news. Needless to say, I thought it might bring me closer to discovering the identity of my parents. I gather my things and book passage for Texas immediately. After a fairly uneventful train ride through the dunce belt, I arrived in El Paso, which I suppose is Mexican for "Can pass for Mexico". We decided to hit up a "cantina" for a drink, and some cards. It was there where I was introduced to the strongest liquid I have ever imbibed. Something called tequila. I have faint memories of them making fun of my clothing, something about a locals cousin, and then I think I was carried to bed. I am not really sure. But on the matter of clothing, I have noticed that no one is dressed the way I am. I am starting to wonder where all of these "cowboys" are.
The morning of the 16th, began very similarly to the 14th. I am pulled out of a drunken slumber by my colleagues, and then we go off to deal with the issue of my estate. The lawyer informs me that my mother died poor and in debt and that I am responsible for this debt or a local cattleman will seem to take it as a personal affront. After a little deliberation and some help from my friends, he confesses that it is all a scam and that there is no debt, nor is the woman in question my mother. To be honest, the plan is pure genius. It is an easy way for someone to make a couple hundred dollars off a poor unsuspecting orphan. I was impressed and as I watched his office burn, I thumbed through his contacts to see if I might be able to use them for my own financial gain.
Needless to say, it was time to leave Texas. We left on the next train headed west, and then we were going to go up to the Dakotas for some Agency job. This should be a wonderful opportunity for me to spend some time selling to the uneducated masses. On our way to Denver, our train breaks down in a small town called North Valley. Clay heads back to check in in St. Louis, with plans to meet us in the Dakotas, and Murphy and Gus head off to a church. I went to worship as well. After some time with a woman and a couple of stiff drinks it was off to see the town. I found a very interesting bookseller, and got my hands on three pages of a copy of Hoyle's from 1815. I cannot wait to begin working on these pages.
After some time spent as tourists, we went off to have a drink or two, and wait for our train to depart. That is when the trouble began. It seemed the graves of the town had coughed up their contents and they were making good time to head down to the pub for a drink. Well, rather than Gus just laying low and hoping they pass on, he decides we need to do something about this. We, and a couple of the townspeople get ready to take on the dead. That is when I see a couple of gents that were on the train with us fleeing the scene. I turned myself invisible, and took off to see where they were going. It seems they were heading to another graveyard with the intention of raising those folks as well. Now, I am not one for a fight, but the thought of more of those folks walking around didn't seem like a good idea, so I did what I could while sharpshooter Murphy picked them off. After watching Gus' treatment of those things back at HQ, I decided I would need to take their heads - that is all I will say about that.
After the dust-up, we spoke with the Sheriff about who would do this and he seemed to think a man from New Orleans was behind it. A Fellow by the name of Simon Lacroix. We told him we would keep an eye out. Then I regaled the bar with the story of our bravery (so as they would remember the name Gridley), and we headed back to the train. Oh, we also picked up a hired hand named Everett Temple. Another bodyguard can't hurt.
Well, the train has just pulled out of the depot, and I am exhausted. I have a lot to process from the last few days, as well as potions to start brewing. That's right, I figured out how to start the process. I also have to start working with those pages from Hoyle's. But first I must sleep, so I put down my pen and end the story of this weeks events.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
North Valley NM and NPC Inventory Vol. 4
NORTH VALLEY, New Mexico
January 20, 1885
KEY:
1. Train Station
2. Livery
3. Courthouse / City Hall
4. Hotel
5. Church of the Holy God (Methodist)
6. St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church
7. Sheriff's Office
8. Jail
9. Tailor
10. Carpenter
11. Ferrier
12. St. Francis Rectory
13. Blacksmith
14. Taxidermist
15. Ice House
16. Tanner
17. Catholic Cemetery
18. Church of the New Word (Baptist, African-American)
19. Baptist Cemetery
20. Methodist Cemetery
21. Charlie's Steaks
22. Law Office
23. Mayor's Office
24. Ann Biddle's Boarding House
25. Whorehouse
26. Bookstore
27. Dentist
28. Barber
29. Stone Mason
30. Hardware Store
31. General Store
32. Butcher's Shop / Meat Market
33. Grocery
34. Doctor
35. Funeral Home
36. Ice House
37. Whorehouse (African-American)
38. Men's Club
39. Neighborhood
40. Neighborhood
41. Schoolhouse
Notable Residents of North Valley:
Fought alongside Gus vs. the Catholic zombies:
Al Bandiff, owner/operator, Al's Butcher & Meat Market
Samuel Grigsby, master blacksmith
Horace Grigsby, ferrier
Dennis McMannis, journeyman blacksmith
Rev. Adam Johnson, pastor of the Methodist church (Blessed)
Daniel Smith, Sheriff of North Valley
Alexander Stevenson, Deputy Sheriff
Herman Grigsby, Deputy Sheriff
Other Residents encountered by the party:
Father Christopher Moriarity, priest of St. Francis of Assisi
Dolores Chapman, church secretary
Herb Richardson, owner/proprietor, Herb's Books
Donald Brown, pastor of Church of the New Word
Isabel, Gridley's prostitute
Slim Datherton, proprietor of the 4th Street Ice House
Sandra, waitress at the 4th Street Ice House
John Vickers, bartender at the 4th Street Ice House
Jeffrey Franklin, manager of the train station depot
Folks on the Train:
Everett Temple, itinerant worker, on his way northwest to take a hunting trip he'd saved up for; convinced by Gus to work as Gridley's bodyguard (as long as it suited them both)
Dale Martin (Harrowed Gunslinger) and the Medicine Man (Harrowed Shaman), a pair of Harrowed evil-doers who tried to raise the dead and wipe out the town of North Valley, NM
Ralph "Bucky" Buckland, Conductor on the train from El Paso to Denver
The Emancipated Nine (a group of slaves purchased by Gus Kestrel in El Paso and freed upon reaching NM, James "Justice" Murphy gives them the address of a boarding house run by family and friends of his in Philadelphia):
Joe Cotton, 40's
Jessey Isum, 30's and his son, Jessey Jr., 10
Willie Carter, 22, and his wife Polly, 19
Winne Brown, 50's
Sally, 8, Reechy, 6, and Jarvis, 3 - Winnie's grandchildren
Saturday, October 8, 2011
End of Hiatus
After a two month hiatus, The Agency's Desperados game resumed sessions beginning October 2, 2011.
The in-game date at the beginning of the session is Friday, January 13, 1885. The party of Clayton Sanbel, Rev. Col. Elijah Q. Gridley, and Augustus Kesterel is joined by James "Justice" Murphy, at the behest of the Agency's St. Louis Director Seth Bullock.
The following is a list of stories in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch* for 01/13/1885:
- Train Robbery, Murder west of St. Louis on the Rail (this is a story about the Ghost Rock robbery committed by members of the Agency under the command of Geoffrey Rigby, and referenced in the blog journals of Clayton, Gus, and the Rev. Col.)
- LA Thompson's new "Gravity Ride" (Roller Coaster)
- New surgical procedure, "Appendectomy," performed in England
- A report on the first 72 hours of Congress's new session - Senator Henry Blair, NH, chosen to lead subcommittee on Confederate Re-admittance; VP Thomas Hendricks delivers address from President Arthur, urging congress to re-admit Confederate states without unecessary delay and with no motives for revenge; Rep. William McAdoo, NJ, introduces legislation for forestry preservation; other topics on the board include labor laws, including testimony by Andrew Carnegie and Henry Clay Frick (steel) and Charles Tyson Yerkes (rail)
- Prominent cabinetmaker found dead in Springfield, Louis Duncan; Mr. Duncan was found dead in his shop after having been missing for two days.
- Confederate General John S. Marmaduke returns home to St. Louis after 25 years in exile, tells reporters he intends to run for Governor of Missouri.
- Unknown animal attacking livestock in Oakville, MO, just south of St. Louis
- Previewing the new "Keith & Albee" vaudeville house, scheduled to open next week downtown. Acts include comedy duo Sarah Shipley and Gertie Grayson, the Postereli Family of Acrobats, Burke Tyler and his trick mule, monologist Hokie Nelson, Stephen Quigley - the Quality Fiddle, and the Four Cohans.
*It goes without saying that these are fictional stories devised for the purposes of this game, and not actual stories from this otherwise real newspaper.
--------------------------------------------
In-game, the party completes their investigation of the Lemp murders and the ghost of Julia Lemp is excorsized; in the course of this investigation, William Lemp (killed by the ghost), his manservant and accomplice Edgar Cates (heart failure), and St. Louis Sheriff's deputy Bernard Feefe (accidental head trauma) die.
Clayton is approached by a man named Chester Allman, who had a disfiguring accident while using a gun that could be traced back to Clayton's work as an arms smuggler. A confrontation takes place, but it ends without violence on either side... for now.
The party accepts a commission from The Agency to travel to the Dakota territory to investigate claims of a Native American talisman that is rumored to be able to detect the undead. However, before they begin this mission, the party accompanies Rev. Col. Elijah Q. Gridley to El Paso, TX to attend to a telegram he received informing him of the death of his mother. The telegram ends up being a scam perpetuated by an El Paso attorney, Raul Espinoza. After ascertaining the truth, Gridley and Clayton Sanbel set fire to Espinoza's practice. Meanwhile, Gus and Justice purchase slaves in El Paso for the purpose of setting them free once they cross the border back into the United States.
Having completed their business in El Paso, the party splits for a time, with Clayton heading back to St. Louis to check on the party's ongoing business, and Gridley, Gus, and Justice heading north via New Mexico to avoid spending more time in Texas, where Justice's being a black man creates potential problems. The party boards a train that will take them through Alberquerque, Santa Fe, and Denver.
At the conclusion of the session, the in-game date is Thursday, January 19, 1885.
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